P.E.I. importing sand for beach volleyball at Canada Games
Last Updated: Tuesday, June 23, 2009 | 10:53 AM AT
CBC News
Robert Arsenault said none of the P.E.I. sand samples met beach volleyball standards. (CBC) It's an island renowned for its beaches, but the Canada Games organizing committee could not find any sand on P.E.I. that would meet the standard for beach volleyball.
"Out of the eight, we didn't have any of the Island samples pass," Robert Arsenault, of the Canada Games organizing committee, told CBC News on Monday.
For the safety of players, and to keep competition fair, the international volleyball federation has strict standards for sand. It has to be cleaned and graded, to ensure it contains the correct size and proportion of sand particles.
It turns out Island sand is too fine. It gets thick and dense when wet: great for building sand castles, but makes for a hard landing on the volleyball court.
The committee hired a consultant to scan the Maritimes for sand that would meet the standard. The sand is not coming from a beach at all, but from a Coldbrook sand pit, in Nova Scotia's Annapolis Valley.
Team P.E.I. hopes to get on the new courts in the next few days. (CBC) The last of 80 truckloads of sand was dumped in Summerside on Monday.
It's on damp, wet days like P.E.I. has been having this week that the proper sand is important. It stays loose and sticks less.
The coach for Team P.E.I. says training on proper sand will help the team in competition, and she's not disappointed that P.E.I. didn't make the grade.
"Don't change our beaches. They're awesome. They're just not that good for beach volleyball," said Lynne Boudreau.
"Keep them they way they are for tourists and for people going to enjoy the beach."
The volleyball courts are part of $3 million in new sports facilities now under construction in Summerside.
